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Chunky Monkey Cupcakes Recipe

April 17, 2015 by Kelly Stilwell 30 Comments

Jump to Recipe

I made these Chunky Monkey Cupcakes to celebrate the opening day of Disneynature's Monkey Kingdom. 

This version of the Chunky Monkey Cupcake is so moist and delicious, largely because of the pudding in the cake recipe.

To make this recipe even more mouthwatering, there's fruit filling! Why not make a batch of Chunky Monkey Cupcakes to snack on this afternoon?

 

I made these Chunky Monkey Cupcakes to celebrate the opening day of Disneynature's Monkey Kingdom. This version of the Chunky Monkey Cupcake is so moist and delicious, largely because of the pudding in the cake recipe.

 

It’s no secret that bananas are good for you. Not only are they packed with potassium to promote heart health, but they’re also a great source of vitamins and fiber, and can help you lose weight while still staying full!

Bananas can also help you manage your blood pressure, so you can have a sweet but healthy snack without loading up on too much sugar or carbs. 

And speaking of healthy snacks, bananas are the perfect treat for your own little monkeys! They’re low on fat, sodium, and cholesterol, and help to encourage strong bone and muscle growth.

Bananas are in season all year ‘round and come in a convenient yellow carrying case—what’s not to love?

What You Need to Make Chunky Monkey Cupcakes

Gather your ingredients. To make the cupcakes, you will need flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, vanilla, vegetable oil, eggs, milk, sour cream, and banana cream pudding mix.

For the apple mixture that goes inside the cupcakes, you'll need apples of your choice, water, and sugar.

To make the frosting, you'll need unsalted sweet cream butter, powdered sugar, imitation banana extract, heavy whipping cream, yellow food coloring, caramel for drizzle on top, along with 2-3 bananas depending on size. You'll need 18 banana slices, ½ - ¾ inches. 

These Chunky Monkey Cupcakes were made in celebration of the new Disneynature film, Monkey Kingdom. Everyone loves Disney, and Just about everyone loves fruit, right? This cupcake recipe has both apples and bananas in it! It's a moist and delicious dessert, perfect for snacking on before or after seeing Monkey Kingdom.

Cupcake Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in a cupcake pan.

Add dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Sift together.

Mix liquid ingredients together. Once the liquid ingredients are fully combined, mix the liquid and dry ingredients together.

Add eggs to the mixture, beating until totally combined.

Pour batter into lined pan until ¾ full, and bake at 350° degrees for 15-18 minutes.

Let cool for 15-20 minutes. Once completely cool, use a small scooper or spoon and scoop a hole in the center of the cupcake.

 

These Chunky Monkey Cupcakes were made in celebration of the new Disneynature film, Monkey Kingdom. Everyone loves Disney, and Just about everyone loves fruit, right? This cupcake recipe has both apples and bananas in it! It's a moist and delicious dessert, perfect for snacking on before or after seeing Monkey Kingdom.

Cooked Apple Directions

Peel, core, and chop apples into small pieces. Add water, apples, and sugar to a pot and cook on stove until the apple chunks become tender.

Cool apple mixture in the refrigerator overnight or for several hours. Fill the hole made with the cupcake scooper with the chunky cooked apples.

Frosting Directions

Mix soft butter with sugar in stand up mixer until they look like small rock pebbles. Add whipping cream and continue to beat at medium speed. Add 2 drops yellow food coloring.

Add in the imitation banana extract. Continue to mix until frosting stands in stiff peaks.

If the peaks aren't stiff enough, add powdered sugar at ½ C  at a time until the peaks form and stand.

Apply the frosting to cupcakes in a pastry bag with tip. (This Wilton pastry bag is the one I use.)

Drizzle with caramel and a thick banana slice on top.

These Chunky Monkey Cupcakes were made in celebration of the new Disneynature film, Monkey Kingdom. Everyone loves Disney, and Just about everyone loves fruit, right? This cupcake recipe has both apples and bananas in it! It's a moist and delicious dessert, perfect for snacking on before or after seeing Monkey Kingdom.

These Dress My Cupcake Standard Cupcake Wrappers from Amazon are really cute. I also have another recipe for Monkey cupcakes made with adorable little fondant monkeys!

If you're a Disney fan, check out these 17 Amazing Disney-themed cupcakes!

Monkey Kingdom is one of the Disneynature films. It's educational and fun, so be sure to see it with the whole family. Learn more by visiting the Monkey Kingdom website.

Save these Chunky Monkey Cupcakes to Pinterest for Later!

I made these Chunky Monkey Cupcakes to celebrate the opening day of Disneynature's Monkey Kingdom. This version of the Chunky Monkey Cupcake is so moist and delicious, largely because of the pudding in the cake recipe. #ChunkyMonkey #BananaCupcakes #ChunkyMonkeyDessert

Continue to Content
These Chunky Monkey Cupcakes were made in celebration of the new Disneynature film, Monkey Kingdom. Everyone loves Disney, and Just about everyone loves fruit, right? This cupcake recipe has both apples and bananas in it! It's a moist and delicious dessert, perfect for snacking on before or after seeing Monkey Kingdom.

Chunky Monkey Cupcakes Recipe

Yield: 18
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Additional Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 58 minutes

Delicious chocolate and banana cupcakes. Easy recipe.

Ingredients

For Cupcakes

  • 2 C  flour
  • 1 C  cocoa
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ⅛ tsp salt
  • 1 ½  C granulated  sugar
  • 1  TBSP  vanilla extract
  • ¾ C vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs (room temp)
  • ½  C   milk
  • 1 C sour cream
  • 1  3.4 oz banana cream pudding

For the Cooked Apples

  • 4 apples of your choice
  • 2 C water
  • ½ Sugar

For Frosting

  • ½ C unsalted sweet cream butter
  • 2 C powdered sugar
  • 3 tsp of imitation banana extract
  • 2 TBSP heavy whipping cream
  • 2 drops yellow food coloring
  • Caramel for drizzle on top
  • 2 large bananas

Instructions

To Make Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in a cupcake pan.

Add dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Sift together.

Mix liquid ingredients together. Once the liquid ingredients are fully combined, mix the liquid and dry ingredients together.

Add eggs to the mixture, beating until totally combined.

Pour batter into lined pan until ¾ full, and bake at 350° degrees for 15-18 minutes.

Let cool for 15-20 minutes. Once completely cool, use a small scooper or spoon and scoop a hole in the center of the cupcake.

For the Apple Filling

Peel, core, and chop apples into small pieces. Add water, apples, and sugar to a pot and cook on stove until the apple chunks become tender.

Cool apple mixture in the refrigerator overnight or for several hours. Fill the hole made with the cupcake scooper with the chunky cooked apples.

For the Frosting

Mix soft butter with sugar in stand up mixer until they look like small rock pebbles. Add whipping cream and continue to beat at medium speed. Add 2 drops yellow food coloring.

Add in the imitation banana extract. Continue to mix until frosting stands in stiff peaks.

If the peaks aren't stiff enough, add powdered sugar at ½ C  at a time until the peaks form and stand.

Apply the frosting to cupcakes in a pastry bag with tip. (This Wilton pastry bag is the one I use.)

Drizzle with caramel and a thick banana slice on top.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 18 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 412Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 177mgCarbohydrates: 57gFiber: 3gSugar: 39gProtein: 5g

Did you make this recipe?

If you've made this recipe, please Pin it to Pinterest!

© Kelly Stilwell
Cuisine: American / Category: Dessert
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ashley

    April 23, 2015 at 7:37 pm

    Hi there! Visiting from the Weekend Re-treat link party. These looks so pretty and delicious! I love chocolate and banana together! I'm pinning for later!

    Reply
  2. Sandra

    April 23, 2015 at 7:42 pm

    I have some bananas that have been waiting on this recipe!

    Reply
  3. Mary Ellen

    April 23, 2015 at 10:33 pm

    These cupcakes look and sound wonderful. Pinned.

    Reply
  4. Mel @ Adventures of Mel

    April 27, 2015 at 11:58 am

    Oh wow, these look so scrumptious! And I can't wait to see that movie with the boys. Thank you for sharing at Inspire Me Wednesday. Featuring you in this week's issue.

    Reply
    • Kelly

      April 28, 2015 at 10:46 pm

      Thank you for visiting, Mel! I've seen it twice and you and your family will love it!

      Reply
  5. cathy

    April 27, 2015 at 9:21 pm

    Yummmmm! This is a great recipe! I would love for you to share this at my party Making Memories Mondays going on now! Hope to see you there!
    Cathy

    Reply
    • Kelly

      April 28, 2015 at 10:46 pm

      Thank you, Cathy! I appreciate that!

      Reply
  6. Must Love Home

    April 29, 2015 at 5:11 pm

    Hi there Friend, you are so creative! Thank you for joining in at the Friday Favorites Link Party! I hope to see you there this week:) Christine -Must Love Home

    Reply
  7. Lou Lou Girls

    May 02, 2015 at 7:20 pm

    Okay, I'm drooling right now! Looks so good. Pinned and tweeted. I hope to see you on Monday at 7, we can't wait to party with you! Lou Lou Girls

    Reply
  8. Olivia Rodriguez

    August 31, 2015 at 11:12 pm

    About how many cupcakes does this recipe make? And will chocolate lovers love this recipe?

    Reply
    • Kelly Stilwell

      June 25, 2019 at 11:15 pm

      12 standard cupcakes

      Reply
  9. Reyna Ayala

    September 07, 2015 at 8:54 pm

    So do you make the instant pudding or just add the packet to the dry ingredients?

    Reply
  10. Tori

    December 01, 2015 at 8:15 pm

    I CANNOT wait to try this! So glad I found you on Hit Me with Your Best Shot!

    Reply
    • Kelly Stilwell

      December 01, 2015 at 10:52 pm

      Thank you, Tori!! Let me know how you love them 🙂

      Reply
  11. Melissa

    December 03, 2015 at 12:19 pm

    I would serve these with a scoop of Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey. Double delicious 😀 New follower! Come say hi sometime! http://www.facebook.com/thehappyidiot

    Reply
  12. BJ

    August 18, 2016 at 4:45 pm

    How many cupcakes does this make? Looks yummy:)

    Reply
    • Kelly Stilwell

      June 25, 2019 at 11:15 pm

      12 standard cupcakes

      Reply
  13. Melissa

    October 02, 2016 at 2:05 am

    what is the stuff drizzled on top of the icing?

    Reply
    • Kelly Stilwell

      June 25, 2019 at 11:14 pm

      Caramel

      Reply
  14. Liann

    July 12, 2018 at 10:53 pm

    How many cupcakes does this recipe make?

    Reply
    • Kelly Stilwell

      June 25, 2019 at 11:14 pm

      12 standard cupcakes

      Reply
  15. Rebecca

    December 31, 2018 at 5:07 pm

    How do you keep the banana slices for garnish ripe and not from browning?

    Reply
    • Kelly Stilwell

      December 31, 2018 at 5:29 pm

      Hi Rebecca! You can either slice just before serving or soak them for a couple of minutes in lemon or pineapple juice. They will still retain the color. Happy New Year!

      Reply
  16. Desiree

    February 23, 2019 at 12:53 am

    How much butter is used in the frosting?

    Reply
    • Kelly Stilwell

      February 23, 2019 at 1:42 am

      Sorry, Desiree. It was supposed to say sweet cream butter.

      Reply
  17. Jennifer

    June 17, 2019 at 4:03 pm

    Hi Kelly--these look yummy! Questions:
    1. Approximately how many standard sized cupcakes does the recipe make;
    2. What is drizzled over the frosting; &
    3. Did you use food color to tint the frosting yellow or did the banana flavoring you use do that?

    Reply
    • Kelly Stilwell

      June 25, 2019 at 11:14 pm

      So sorry I'm just seeing this, Jennifer! 12 standard cupcakes. Caramel is drizzled over top. Yes, 2 drops of yellow food coloring to tint frosting. Recipe has been updated.

      Reply
  18. Sam

    July 29, 2020 at 8:26 pm

    I made these tonight. I actually did things a little different being that I am a baker with my own business. I did the sugar and oil first mixed for a few minutes, then added in eggs. Put the flour, cocoa, pudding mix, baking powder and sugar in a bowl and stirred it. Put my milk, vanilla and sour cream in a bowl and mixed it. Then added everything into the sugar and eggs, alternating dry and wet, starting with dry and ending with dry. I actually ended up with 24 cupcakes

    Reply
    • Kelly Stilwell

      July 29, 2020 at 8:43 pm

      Thanks, Sam. It's been forever since I've made these. I'll have to try your method and see how it works out. Were they on the smaller side? How was the flavor?

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Chunky Monkey Cupcake Recipe – Cucina de Yung says:
    August 7, 2018 at 8:28 AM

    […] Chunky Monkey Cupcakes @ kellystilwell.com for full […]

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Welcome! Food, Fun & Faraway Places® is a travel and lifestyle blog written by Kelly Stilwell. From delicious recipes to world travel, I’ve got you covered! Contact me at kastilwell@gmail.com.

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